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Set inside a massive volcanic crater at the centre of the island, the PARQUE NACIONAL LAS CANADAS DEL TEIDE protects a bleak and sun-baked volcanic desert. Used as a set for the film Star Wars , it is vaguely familiar to the 3.5 million visitors who come here each year to explore the harsh landscape and ascend Pico del Teide , the colossal volcano at its heart. A single east-west road crosses the park and along it are numerous roadside stops which provide good views over the inhospitable lava and pumice plains . Some also give access to hikes , passing through cool, thin and pure park air while crossing warped and gnarled rock. Enjoying national-park status since 1954, Teide is of considerable interest to naturalists for its large proportion of endemic species , but to the layperson the small tenacious shrubs and plants that manage to survive in this harsh environment are of no real interest. If you come in May or June, however, there are some spectacular exceptions to this rule: the resilient Teide violet adds a pretty scattering of colour among the lava and pumice, while Tajinaste rojo , a two-metre high conical spike and an impressive skeleton, comes into bloom with spectacular maroon flowers. There is no especially good or bad time to visit the park and streams of visitors come year-round. Most generally only make a couple of roadside stops before making a beeline for Teide's cable car, so hikers soon find themselves in relatively quiet areas. Given the park's delicate ecosystem, however, it's important to observe the various park rules governing visitor behaviour. Most, such as not littering or picking plants, are fairly common sense, but note also that it is forbidden to remove stones (particularly from around the upper reaches of Teide), stray from marked paths and camp anywhere within the park.
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